Cold-Weather Tasks - a Gardener's Work is Never Done

As many of you have noticed, the mornings are getting colder each and every day. But don’t think for a minute that we here at the Park Seed trial gardens have slowed down any. We are now in clean up mode, whether that means raking leaves or pruning back all of the plants that have been affected by the cold. Those plants that have been affected most are perennials, soft tissue plants, and deciduous trees and shrubs. These include Musa (Banana), Colocasia (Elephant Ear), Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan), and Echinacea (Coneflower), to name a few.

It's also a time for limbing trees, preparing soil, and making sure irrigation lines are leak-free so they don’t burst. We are now concentrating on limbing trees like Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress) and many of our Acers. It's also important to remember that in the landscape, all trees should be limbed up at the same height to create a unified look. The best way to do this is by standing back at a distance, creating a visual of what the tree would look like without the limbs. You can also flag limbs with some type of marking tape so you will be able to clearly see which branches will be removed. For bigger limbs (over 3"), you might want to use a chainsaw for a more even, cleaner cut.

As you know, keeping a yard or landscape looking great takes continual love and care, so even though there might not be as many weeds growing out in the yard, winter is a great time to do a few of those things that summer doesn't allow!

Winter is also a great time for us here at Park Seed because it gives us time to plan out how we will designate the beds for spring. "Planning for spring already?!" you say. Yes, to ensure another beautiful and quality spring like years past, the time is now!

Comments

[donna]

I am interested in knowing how to continue composting all winter especially since the compost pile is now frozen. Any suggestions for winter composting. As this also alleviates good waste going into garbage bags. Going green and wanting to stay green all winter. thanks donna

[Donna]

Would it be wiser to plant the left over fall bulbs in a container for the house or can we plant them as long as the ground isn't frozen? Any tips would be appreciated. I bought too many but just found the perfect site around a statue.

[Chris]

Donna,
Winter Compost - Two things that play an important role in winter composting are heat and insulation. This is because you want to make sure that all microbe activity does not cease. If an external heat source is out of the question, you want to try and make your pile as big as possible -- that way it keeps the internal temperature warmer. You could even try putting some type of clear plastic over the pile to create a greenhouse effect. Secondly, insulation. For insulation, I would place hay bales around the pile, keeping the harsh weather to a minimum.

Fall bulbs - If the ground isn’t frozen, go ahead and plant them outside so they will have fulfilled their cold requirement. Planting them inside will not let them fulfill that requirement, so I would say stay away from that idea. If the ground is frozen, you may be able to get away with putting them in the refrigerator until ready to plant again in the fall.